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Using a Digital Curriculum to Provide a Personalized Education for Diverse Learners (Cascade F)
Dr. Bernie Franks, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Mrs. Erin Schultz, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Ms. Erin Schilling, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Ms. Laura Sage, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Ms. Terri Bennett, Butler Technology and Career Development Schools

Learn about a district that is creating a digital curriculum through the use of a curriculum management system to ensure a standards-based personalized education for each student. Butler Tech is implementing digital courses of study based on national and Ohio standards, using online common assessments, and sharing instructional strategies and resources. See how several programs are using the digital curriculum, online courses, and blended delivery to meet the needs of at-risk students.
Presentation


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Notes by Marcel Kielkucki, Director of HS Completion Programs, Kirkwood Community College (mkielku@kirkwood.edu)

Breakout Session 2—Using a Digital Curriculum to Provide a Personalized Education for Diverse Learners—Butler Technology and Career Development Schools
Butler technology schools are just north of Cincinnati. Presented by a team of staff from the school—curriculum specialists, instructors, and principal.
They have adults and students in their building as they are a tech school for secondary and adults. 3 main campuses, 4 options academies, a online high school, 10 associate school districts, served 30,000 adult and secondary students in 2009. Utilize Angel AMS, do academics and CareerTech on campus.
Why a digital curriculum? They can connect all instructors and administrators, allows the curriculum to drive the district, improve student learning, and it’s easily accessible from anywhere. They’ve been using digital curriculum for the last two years.
Structure of curriculum—it’s not courses for them. It’s a course of study, which has a description with prerequisites and requirements, common assessment cycles, resources, strategies, and assessment data needed to drive instruction. Organized by instructor groups, curriculum guides, and blended course masters.
They shared a PPT slide with a flow chart/process map of development.
In the options academies, they utilize blended learning. One example is Butler Tech Online, and then also have options academies, which are at-risk. Have online curriculum to allow for different levels for their courses, but the teacher is present to have the face-to-face element they may need for assistance.
Ohio has credit flexibility that eliminates seat time requirements, and for mastery-based options. They can test out of certain units. Also looking to use partial credit additionally.
They can also share resources across the district and give students more resource availability.
They have a visual arts academy in which they do not have a traditional schedule. A video was shown on this program.
Students must set appointments with an instructor. Could be a small group setting, workshop, or individual appointments.
Students can work anywhere in the building that has supervision as well. Required to be at school only when they have appointments ,and are allowed to do work anywhere on the academics.
Butler Tech Online
-8th year of operation, use the BT curriculum on Angel
-70 semester course options, NCAA compliant, aligned with state standards, in all content areas
-School is a department within Butler Tech
-Most of their courses are asynchronous
-All academic courses are online (BT options academy)
-They also allow for single courses, computer labs, home-based (full or single courses), partnered as well with Aventa Learning
-Also do synchronous classroom blended courses, and can have a content only option—they sell courses to other districts and those districts use their own teachers.
-All teachers are Ohio licenses, and then they require an online course for the teachers in how to teach online. Core teachers are online full time, providing academic/motivational support, assessment of student work, etc.)
-30 programs across the state, a majority of students in are alternative programming or credit recovery in a proctored settings.
-Majority at BT are part of career-based academies, in which online teachers do the course, with lab proctors assisting as well.
-In 2009 had 4500 students with 7500 courses, but will reduce numbers this year due to staffing changes to bring digital curriculum into non-online courses.
One example they have is Building Our Youth and Community—a partnership with Habitat for Humanity and are there 8-5 every day. Court ordered to do classes at the community college.
Another example is CBI (Career-Based Intervention) works with 9 districts, a career-technical program for at-risk students too.
Options Academy—The Arts
(School serving 115 students that have been identified as at-risk—credit deficient or poverty, as well as those with an arts passion.)
Career tech program in performing or visual arts
Each teacher mentors 10-15 students in the individual arts program as an advisor. They require weekly meetings. Helps with relationship building and also monitoring. They look at academic items.
In The Arts program, they are trying to do a blended model. Have a 1:1 laptop model now for 2 years. Started with academic focus, and are now shifting to do so in the Career/Technical courses. Breaking down courses into units with pre and post assessments with instructional strategies as well. Allows them to assess student current skills, test out of some requirements, and then move into new areas for them to develop in their portfolio.
Options Academy—Wokini
-Serve 70 at-risk students—at-risk meaning having some sort of academic deficiency. Use Butler Tech curriculum for all core academics and several electives.
-Have 3 certified teachers on staff with a principal, secretary, and PT social worker.
-Have more one-on-one instruction time, rapid completion, allows students to catch up or work ahead, and flexible schedules—can work from home and have Free Friday’s.
-Online curriculum is not for all teachers. Because each student’s at a different level, it’s like having 70 preps a day because each is on their own course at a different level.
-Students must have a strong reading skill set
-There’s a constant volume of student work—students need help with motivation
-Plagiarism is a concern in regards to student work
-A great way for students to get caught up or graduate early.
-See a lot of success from unsuccessful students, and positive changes in attitudes from parents and students
The flexible credit options have really allowed students who want to work ahead to do so instead of being a discipline problem.
Digital curriculum requires time, resources, dedicated instructors, and professional development.
Powerpoint will be uploaded to the Wiki.


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